rmmmmmmtmrn 



THE ARCTIC TOWHEE. 



{Pipilo maculatus arcticus.) 



The Arctic or Northern Towhee is a 

 bird of high altitudes and latitudes. Its 

 breeding range is somewhat restricted, in- 

 cluding the plains of the Platte, Upper 

 Missouri, Yellowstone and Saskatche- 

 wan rivers and the regions westward to 

 the eastern slope of the Rocky moun- 

 tains. In the winter it passes southward, 

 finally reaching the state of Texas. 

 Throughout its range it frequents 

 streams and shores that are bordered 

 with bushy underbrush. In some local- 

 ities, as in the valley of the Great Slave 

 Lake, this species is very abundant. 



Mr. Trippe, as quoted by Dr. Coues 

 in his "Birds of the Northwest," has 

 well described the habits of the Arctic 

 Towhee. He says : "The Arctic To- 

 whee appears in the vicinity of Idaho 

 Springs about the middle of May and in 

 the course of a week or two becomes 

 rather common, though never very abun- 

 dant. It becomes rare above 8,500 feet 

 and above 9,000 feet disappears alto- 

 gether, being most numerous from 

 7,500 feet down to the plains. In hab- 

 its and appearance it is quite simi- 

 lar to the eastern towhee, but is 

 much shyer and is easily frightened. 



when it hides in the bushes until all 

 appearance of danger has passed by. 

 Sometimes I have heard it utter the 'che- 

 wink' of the eastern towhee, or a note 

 almost exactly like it, though a little 

 lower and more wiry, but its usual call 

 is quite different. It does not sing near 

 as frequently as the latter bird, but when 

 it does acts in the same manner, mounting 

 to the lower limb of a tree and chanting 

 its simple ditty at short intervals for half 

 an hour or more. This song is almost 

 the same as the eastern towhee." 



The towhees obtain a large share of 

 their food by scratching among the fallen 

 leaves that lie upon the ground under the 

 underbrush that they frequent. The 

 Arctic Towhee will respond to a whistled 

 call, though it is not as inquisitive as the 

 eastern species. 



Its nest is placed on the ground in a 

 slight depression scratched out by the 

 bird and is usually under the protecting 

 shadows of shrubs. The nest, the rim of 

 which is flush with the ground, is 

 "strongly built of bark strips, blades of 

 dry grass and usually lined with yellow 

 straw." 



MOOSEWOOD. 



How its lively and airy branches sway 

 This beautiful, sunshiny April day! 

 Now its opening leaves our senses cheer, 

 And its delicate rose-colored buds appear. 



Grand in its solitude near the dark plain, 



I visit this old Striped Maple again ; 



For many a season unchanged it has stood 



As if guarding the sugar-camp there in the wood ! 



— George Bancroft Griffith. 



158 



